Wolves Roundup: Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2017

Welcome to Wolves Roundup, a weekly report of highlights, notes and transactions from the Chicago Wolves’ previous week of competition during the 2017-18 season.

Early Risers

The Chicago Wolves will kick off competition this week on Wednesday, Nov. 8, with a 10:30 a.m. school-day game against the Milwaukee Admirals at UWM Panther Arena. Last year — 364 days prior to Wednesday’s date — the Wolves and Admirals battled in a school-day game in which Chicago outshot Milwaukee 27-24 but fell 5-4 in overtime. Forward Andrew Agozzino netted two goals and now-Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brad Hunt collected two assists. Forwards Ivan Barbashev and Magnus Paajarvi also tallied in the contest. Just 1:49 into the three-on-three overtime, defenseman Alexandre Carrier netted the game-winning goal to extend the Admirals’ winning streak against the Wolves to five games, dating back to March 20 of the 2015-16 campaign. This season, the Wolves are already ahead of pace against Milwaukee as they took Game 1 of the 12-game slate. On Oct. 28, the clubs met for the first time and Chicago edged Milwaukee 2-1 with late third-period goals from Teemu Pulkkinen and Shea Theodore. The Wolves head into Wednesday’s game nursing their first win streak of the season and looking to extend it to three games. The Wolves and Admirals meet again this week on Sunday, Nov. 12, at Allstate Arena

Behind Enemy Lines

On Saturday, Nov. 11, a slew of former Wolves players will make their first appearance of the season at Allstate Arena. Former captain Chris Butler, forwards Andrew Agozzino, Samuel Blais, Adam Musil and Tage Thompson, defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and goaltender Ville Husso will return to Allstate wearing enemy colors. Last season, the Wolves swept the four-game season series with the Rampage that included a 7-3 victory at Allstate Arena. In that game, Butler collected four points — including two goals and the primary assist on the eventual game-winning goal scored by Brett Sterling early in the second period. Earlier in the series, rookie netminder Husso defeated the Rampage at AT&T Center to earn his first AHL victory. On Oct. 23, Husso made 39 saves to help the Wolves grab a 2-1 victory.

Top Line

Kasimir Kaskisuo

In his third game since being loaned to the Chicago Wolves on Oct. 23, Kaskisuo earned his first victory with the team in spectacular fashion. In Chicago’s lone contest of the week, the 24-year-old recorded a 33-save shutout, including 13 stops in the middle frame, to backstop the Wolves to their first road victory of the season. Overall, the win is Kaskisuo’s second of the season as he appeared in one game with the Toronto Marlies on Oct. 15. In that victory, the Finn allowed a single goal and posted a .963 save percentage with 26 stops. The shutout is the second of Kaskisuo’s 13-game AHL career.

Mackenzie MacEachern

The 23-year-old Michigan native netted the game-winning goal in the Chicago Wolves’ 2-0 win against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Nov. 3. The victory was the first on the road this season for the Wolves and the tally was MacEachern’s first of the year. The shutout was Chicago’s first since March 31 against the Iowa Wild at Wells Fargo Arena. It was marked the first time the Wolves have shut out the Griffins since Jan. 29, 2010. It was also Chicago’s first regular-season win against Grand Rapids since Dec. 11, 2016.

T.J. Tynan

Tynan tallied his first goal of the season when he potted an empty-net insurance marker in the Chicago Wolves’ 2-0 victory against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Nov. 3 at Van Andel Arena. It was the perennial 40-point scorer’s fourth point in nine games. If Tynan wants to collect 40 points for the fourth consecutive season of his four-year professional career, the 25-year-old will need to average just more than half a point per game through the remaining 67 games of the season.

REWIND

The Wolves shut out the Griffins for the first time since Jan. 29, 2010, for the club’s first road victory of the season.

Michigan native Mackenzie MacEachern’s first-period goal served as the game-winner while perennial 40-point scorer T.J. Tynan collected his first goal on the season with an empty-net marker late in the third period.

Goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo posted 33 saves for his first victory with the Wolves.

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